Sketch reveals suspect in sex crime

The Hood River victim of a sexual assault worked with a forensic artist this week to create a composite sketch of her attacker.

Hood River County Sheriff Detective Gerry Tiffany said the Markham Road woman believes the man was Hispanic and remembered him as having “distinctive” eyes and ears.

“We are hoping that someone in the community will help us match the face to a name,” he said.

Tiffany said the unknown suspect initially had his head covered by the hood of a rain coat. However, he was glimpsed by the victim in just a bandana for enough time that she could note some of his features. She described him as about 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing around 190 pounds.

Tiffany said it is uncertain if the man was carrying a weapon when the attack took place shortly after 5:30 a.m. Jan. 12.

On Wednesday, Joyce Nagy, a forensic artist from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, worked with the victim to put the memory of her assailant on paper.

Tiffany said DNA evidence has been gathered that could confirm the identity of anyone named as a suspect. He said the assault occurred after the victim’s husband had left for work and she went outside to investigate why her dog was barking.

“We don’t know if the man was on the property to commit another crime, such as a burglary, or if he intended to attack her,” said Tiffany.

The victim said the man fled down Markham Road after assaulting her. Tiffany asks that anyone who saw someone in that vicinity that morning — or a vehicle parked in an unusual place — give him a call at 387-6841.